New Idria Road

[Max Rockatansky]

For years the New Idria ghost town in the Diablo Range has eluded me.  It seems as though each time I was ready to make a visit attempt on New Idria Road something would happen to my car or the road would be washed out (such as winter 2023).  Circumstances finally fell in my favor this weekend a recent emergency repair contract by San Benito County and a good up to date report on conditions getting to/from New Idria. 

New Idria is a large Mercury mine which operated in the Diablo Range from 1854-1972.  This town has sat derelict for over half a century and yet somehow remains standing.  I view this one of the last true uncivilized places left in central California and more akin to ghost towns I used to visit in Arizona or Nevada. 

Amusingly New Idria Road completely doable on a car until the end of county maintenance at Postmile 20.6 (County Road 107).  From there the road is basically a destroyed mess but it only about a mile further to town site.

https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCwnBm

Strangely the GSV driver actually made it up about Postmile 19.8 this past March.  The unmaintained portion doesn't have any GSV images but there is some from 2016 within the town site.

[pderocco]

For years the New Idria ghost town in the Diablo Range has eluded me.  It seems as though each time I was ready to make a visit attempt on New Idria Road something would happen to my car or the road would be washed out (such as winter 2023).  Circumstances finally fell in my favor this weekend a recent emergency repair contract by San Benito County and a good up to date report on conditions getting to/from New Idria. 

New Idria is a large Mercury mine which operated in the Diablo Range from 1854-1972.  This town has sat derelict for over half a century and yet somehow remains standing.  I view this one of the last true uncivilized places left in central California and more akin to ghost towns I used to visit in Arizona or Nevada. 

Amusingly New Idria Road completely doable on a car until the end of county maintenance at Postmile 20.6 (County Road 107).  From there the road is basically a destroyed mess but it only about a mile further to town site.

https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCwnBm

Strangely the GSV driver actually made it up about Postmile 19.8 this past March.  The unmaintained portion doesn't have any GSV images but there is some from 2016 within the town site.

That happens a lot: the GSV ends at some meaningless point for no obvious reason. I could see it ending at the warning sign you posted elsewhere, but why here?

The aerial imagery from April '23 shows tons of yellow flowers, probably Tickseed or Monolopia. I'll put that road on my bucket list for next spring.

[Max Rockatansky]

FWIW this is the washout from winter 2023:

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02ijX67EX6wsWvBif5fvEa7vNtbaFiEJjbmtjvr3a2zMHvsroqcSmrTpVyoQvifrKul&id=100002316712969&mibextid=wwXIfr

San Benito County made emergency repairs in September 2024.  Said repairs basically were just a bunch of dirt fill and a drainage pipe.  The county intends to build a new bridge and submitted CEQA documents this past March:

https://ceqanet.lci.ca.gov/2025030093

As a general this is one of the better New Idria articles I've found:

https://benitolink.com/veins-of-cinnabar-found-by-mistake-helped-define-the-regions-early-economy/